john: and a>> see what's happening this instant. abc 11 eyewitness news at 5:00 starts right now. john: a help alert. the zika virus e everyone on this stage is stupid, fat, and ugly. and ben, you are a terrible

amber: the best trumpet impression on the debate. panthers take the field for the super bowl. the big rally happening today. good morning and welcome. it's 5:01, 35 degrees. amber: happy friday. thanks for spending the day with us. let's check in with don schwenneker for a first look at the weather. don: it's friday, and we have a nice day. typical day in january we will see the temperatures in the mid-30's and go up near 50 early in the afternoon, then back to the 40's. current numbers are 36 in

35 under clearing skies by lunchtime, and going home 51 under sunny skies. we've got warmer weather ahead. looking great -- we will talk about that coming up. amber: looking forward to it. thanks. john: not since the ebola virus have health officials the concerned about a disease. amber: this morning, the zika virus is spreading fast, and local hospitals are taking notice. we are live with more. reporter: the virus has been linked to birth defects, pregnant women urged to avoid certain areas. >> you know how fast these

and is linked to a number of birth defects. >> some of the important things with pregnancies are how quickly the mom gets the infection. recently don't know. reporter: the world health organization held an emergency meeting on monday to determine if the zika outbreak should be declared an international health emergency. john: new this morning, the search for a missing malaysian airline that disappeared in the southern indian ocean two years ago. a chinese ship has used advanced sonar quitman to join the search. that plane vanished on march 8 on a flight from kuala lumpur to beijing. it iwas lost in the indian ocean. amber: -- a hit and run driver.

authorities are now looking for a 1990's gmc or chevy pickup truck with front-end damage. it's believe the vehicle is white. everyone with information is encouraged to call the highway patrol. john: days before the iowa caucuses, the republican presidential candidates gathered last night for one last debate. amber: with one glaring exception.

john: time is running out for health coverage under the 40 care act. sunday is the absolute last day you can enroll in a health insurance plan for 2016, unless you qualify for a special exemption. the aca requires americans to carry health coverage or pay a fine. be warned that penalties will cost you more this year. a durham minister petitioning the school board. amber: coming up, what he is doing to keep young people out of trouble. john: a cargo ship in danger. what the owners are trying to do before it goes down. don: good morning. as you head out the door, a different story in the weather.

john: welcome back. don: as your kids head out the door, we have live conditions. you're going to the typical temperatures -- if you go down south and west, especially as you go toward lumberton, you watch out. 32 right now, 35 in oxford. 37 louisburg, 38 wilson. 36 pines. 38 in goldsboro.

by lunchtime, temperatures up to 40, eventually sunny skies. 48 degrees and mostly sunny. lots of sunshine today, and we will see it stick around all weekend long. we have a great weekend forecast, coming up. john: thank you. a minister is asking the school boards for a change in the way your child learns about black history. he says this could be the key to keeping kids out of trouble. the minister wants all middle schools to offer black history classes, and to make black history a graduation requirement for high school student. he says it will help students. >> especially for african-american males, we think that we have not tried giving them a sense of self worth about black history.

the ball rolling for what he hopes is a policy discussion in amber: now to the video of the morning, a rush to unload a cargo ship before it sinks. a cargo ship carrying construction equipment drifted dangerously off the coast of france after it was disabled by

it was evacuated, and the freethrows. [laughter] john: parents fired up after proposals of elementary students. they want to add 30 minutes to the schedule in order to give students more time in class to learn math and reading. it would increase their day to seven hours. last night many parents expressed concerns that elementary students were too young to handle that many hours in the classroom. a final vote is expected next month. amber: 5:12. the stand your ground lawgiving more protection. john: coming up, how new changes could impact changes. amber: and an insight into oj simpson and the legal trouble that landed him behind bars.

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don:a $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of this man, who tried to rob a pnc yesterday. it got national attention because the bank manager was caught on camera blocking the robber from coming in. the world health organization called an emergency meeting on monday to discuss the growing threat pros by the zika virus. it's spreading rapidly through both south and central america and cases are starting to show up in the u.s. it's especially dangerous to pregnant women and babies. and donald trump sticking to his guns, boycotting the republican presidential debate. trump held his own event while the other candidates took advantage of his absence. amber: the florida senate has passed a bill that would ban the controversial stand your ground law. it was put to the test in the

case. it puts more burden on prosecutors to prove self-defense. right now, the burden is on the defendant. concussion is at -- may have sustained brain damage in is pro football career that preceded the 1995 murder trial. a forensic pathologist portrayed in the film by will smith says he fits the profile, which can only be diagnosed posthumously. they frequently exhibit erratic behavior, inability to concentrate, and concussion. since then, he was charged with murdering his ex-wife. he was acquitted of the murders in a highly publicized 1995 trial, but was later convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping

he's currently serving a 33-year sentence. the so-called sunday giveaway has become a tradition or the panthers this year. john: after every touchdown, a kid in the front row will end up with the sermon year of a lifetime. one boy got to experience it firsthand. reporter: he's covered in panthers memorabilia, but his most prized item comes from his favorite player, cam newton. >> he's the best quarterback in the nfl. he's running the ball and -- reporter: during the game against the patriots, he had his first time in the front row, and joined a touchdown club. >> he came over to me, and then i was telling him, --

>> nonstop, all the concerns, the entire time. reporter: it didn't just and then. -- end then. he nabbed one earlier. >> i got him to sign it. reporter: while he's still hoping for the signatures of players like greg olsen and josh norman, he may experience something better. i must be dreaming. reporter: they host a super bowl will likely be the biggest hit of all. >> are praying it out? john: that's great.

john: it's something so new and fresh and i love it. amber: if you are nice to someone's kid, you get parents all over. [laughter] john: today. don: today is going to be more sunshiny. temperatures are not. 51 today, mostly sunny, tonight clear and cold. it will be the coldest night of the next seven, and tomorrow we go down with lots of sunshine. let's take a look at what is going on. as far as temperatures across the region, dew point at 30, 82% humidity. a live look at durham, 49, west wind at two miles per hour. temperatures from across the region are warmer, and from fayetteville to southern pines there in the upper 30's. this area down south has patchy

32 right now in chapel hill, 35 and roxboro, 38 in wilson. clear skies and lots of sunshine and you will need the jacket heading out this morning. but as we zoom it out and look to the west, wh-- this high pressure system works across here and that is all the nice weather we will see for the next several days. lots of sunshine headed in. 5:00 this afternoon, temperatures fall back into the 40's. they will get chilly, and tomorrow we are in the 40's, but we don't cne clouds -- we don't see any clouds. the low pressure system off the

don't be surprised to see wind at 25, 30 miles per hour. you may feel a driving down the road. that dies down through the overnight. it brings nice weather, and we do have that backside over here. we should see that being pulled up, temperatures into the 60's. for today, low 50's, mostly sunny, typically 51. 50 in wendell. upper 40's, 51 roanoke rapids. hillside, 51. 55 wilson. tonight, temperatures across the area are bouncing from the 20's to 30's. it is the coldest night of the next 7 -- we really feel temperatures start to jump in

57 and mostly sunny on your sunday, 63, very nice, lots of sunshine. monday, 65, continuing. tuesday, 66. groundhog day, 65. rain returns. we could see some thunderstorms, as we see things get colder. but the bitter cold temperatures are missing. amber: i'm not missing them. john: me neither. 5:22. barbie getting a makeover. amber: coming up, how the iconic

john: a big rally in hey, you forgot the milk! that's lactaid. right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can drink all you want... ...with no discomfort? exactly. here, try some... mmm, it is real milk. see? delicious. hoof bump! oh. right here girl, boom lactaid . 100% real milk. no discomfort and for a creamy and delicious treat, try lactaid ice cream my dad gave me those shares, you know. he ran that company. i get it. but you know i think you own too much. gotta manage your risk. an honest opinion

amber: 13 hours in five minutes if you are counting down to the super bowl. uptown charlotte is set for the biggest panthers rally in more than a decade, but not everyone is happy with the timing. the event is from noon until 1:30, and that interferes with work and school for a lot of people. fans. -- fans have to make tough choices. >> i don't want to have to take time off of work.

down to balancing views and giving fans an opportunity to gather. they say this achieves those goals. our special live coverage begins this sunday, live from santa clara. you can get the coverage online at abc11.com. a triumphant return after -- john: here is candace gibson and consumer news. reporter: good morning. circuit city lives. reporter: the one-timed the technology retail giant is coming back from bankruptcy. as many as 100 stores by next year. reporter: and mcdonald's is testing a new addition to its menu, the griddle breakfast sandwich. it's not on their wildly popular all-day menu. reporter: so they are testing it out in oklahoma, and if they can make it work, they can possibly

america is changing, and now so is barbie. reporter: the iconic doll comes in three body types, skin tones, and hairstyles reflecting changes. john: interesting. amber: 5:27. still to come, the video going viral. how a bank manager stopped a

>> see what's happening this instant. abc 11 eyewitness news at 5:30 starts right now. amber: new concerns about the zika virus. now concerns in the u.s. -- the warning from the world health organization. >> i couldn't believe the scale